Little League Baseball (LLB) has established rules and regulations that govern Little League operations and games. These rules are contained in the Official Little League Rulebook (a/k/a the “Green Book”) that each manager and coach receives at the beginning of each season. Managers/coaches are responsible for reading and being familiar with the rules and regulations of the game, including conduct and behavior.

Local rules provide modifications or additions (as permitted), or reinforcement of rules established by LLB. Local rules provide flexibility to suit the needs and objectives of the community and Weston Little League. All Weston local rules remain in force when playing games in Weston, including against other leagues.

Little League Baseball and Weston local rules are to be consistently enforced at all times. Managers/coaches are not given the flexibility to modify, change, or otherwise adjust the rules of play.

As a condition of service to the league, all managers, coaches, Board members, and any other volunteers or hired worker who provides regular service to the league and/or has repetitive access to or contact with players or teams must complete a Volunteer Application and undergo a LL background check.

AA DIVISION STRUCTURE AND GAME RULES:

All second graders are assigned to the AA division.

Primary Purpose: To focus on skills development.

Competitiveness: Some aspects of competition are introduced, but we do not keep score, standings or hold playoffs.

Pitching: Modified coach/kid pitch format. Coach pitch in innings 1-3-5, with kid pitch in even innings. Kid pitches up to a strike out or four balls. After four balls, the coach steps in to pitch to the batter (the batter’s coach should pitch). If the coach takes over pitching to a batter, the count resets and then ends when the batter either hits the ball or strikes out. There are no walks, but there are “called strikes” (this applies to both kid pitch and coach pitch – called strikes must be obvious, with benefit of the doubt given to the batter on borderline pitches).

Fielding: Teams are permitted to utilize ten players in the field while on defense. The tenth fielder must play in the outfield (left, left center, right center, and right). Every effort should be made to ensure that the outfielders play in their assigned positions and do no encroach on the infield positions (i.e., assigning a short centerfielder who covers second base is not permitted).

Hitting: Everybody bats through the order (“continuous batting order”) until either three outs are achieved or everyone on a team has batted, whichever occurs first. Players who arrive at the field after a game begins shall be inserted at the end of the batting order. Coaches should rotate batting orders each game so no player always bats last/first. Bunting is NOT allowed in this division. A batter can only advance to first base on a ball hit in the infield, even if it passes through to the outfield. A batter is NOT considered out if he/she fouls off the final pitch – it must be a “swing and miss” or called third strike.

Practices & Games: Each weekend, each team is scheduled to have one practice and one game. There are no required activities during the week.

Team Placement: Players are placed on teams based on coach selection, with Board oversight and approval to ensure equally balanced teams.

Season Goals: Players will have reinforced the skills learned in the A division along with watching the runner in front of you, understanding force outs and covering second base when the ball is hit to the left or right side.

Safety

Only approved volunteers and players can be on the bench/in the dugout. Teams are limited to one manager/head coach, and two additional assistant coaches. Unless they are in the game, players must be on the bench. No parents or non-player children are permitted in the dugouts/bench areas.

Players and parents: no standing behind the backstop during a game.

Check the field before the start of each game for hazards (e.g., glass).

Players must wear long pants for games and practices – no shorts allowed.

Batters, base runners, and players who are base coaches must wear helmets.

Thrown bats by a batter results in a warning first and then an automatic out on the second infraction.

Players cannot use a batting donut. No swinging in the on-deck circle or in the fenced areas of dugouts. Players may take a practice swing(s) before he/she gets into the batter’s box. Exception: before the start of an inning, the first player to bat is allowed to take warmup swings outside of the dugout in foul territory.

To the extent a coach seeks to introduce players to catching, all male catchers must wear a cup made of metal, fiber or plastic, and a long-model chest protector.

All catcher’s masks must have dangling throat guards – no exceptions!

Base Running

Stealing is NOT permitted in this division.

There is NO tagging up on balls caught by the defense in this division.

Runners are NOT permitted to advance on an overthrow. We want to encourage fielders to attempt the throws!

If a batter/runner is called out on base, they must come off the field. Coaches, please enforce this!

On balls hit to the outfield, runners must stop at the base they are approaching after the ball enters the diamond (e.g., if the runner is past second base and before third when the ball enters the infield, he/she may only advance to third). The first and third base coaches will control this rule.

Read and understand the Green Book rules on interference (impeding a fielder trying to make a play) and obstruction (impeding a base runner). Example: players cannot apply a fake tag.

No head first sliding running to a base is permitted. Head first sliding is permitted only when going back to a base.

Foul lines are in fair territory.

Running to first base – Player should run to the right of the foul line and listen to the first base coach before committing to 2nd base. Runners must return at once to first base after overrunning or over-sliding that base. If player turns toward the infield and, in the coaches’ judgment, make an attempt to go to second, he/she can be tagged out.

A runner is out if the runner does not slide or attempt to and successfully get around a fielder (including the catcher) who has the ball and is waiting to make the tag. A runner is out if the runner does not slide or attempt to and successfully get around a fielder (including a catcher) who is waiting to receive a thrown ball that is already in flight and half way to the fielder. The determination of the progress of the ball is to be made in the coaches’ discretion.

A fielder (including the catcher) may not block a base (including home plate) unless the fielder is in possession of the ball. If the defensive player blocks the base/plate or baseline clearly without possession of the ball, obstruction shall be called, the runner is safe, and a delayed dead ball shall be called.

The purpose of these rules is to avoid collisions and promote the safety of our players. Any effort to intentionally make physical contact with a player from the opposing team with the intent to harm the opposing player may, in the discretion of the coaches, result in a warning or the ejection of the offending player from the game.

If a base runner is unable to run, the preceding player in the batting order (who is not on base) may run for the injured player. Special pinch runners are not permitted.

Equal Playing Time/Rotation of Positions

All players must play an equal number of innings and, where not possible, only one inning differential will be allowed (with two exceptions: poor attendance; or poor attitude issues). Coaches may invoke the exceptions for poor attendance or poor attitude only with the prior approval of the President and Player Agent. All AA players must play an equal number of innings in the infield and must be rotated through all positions, taking safety/ability into account when necessary. Please keep in mind this is an instructional league in which we want to focus on fun and instruction, as opposed to winning and losing.

Duration of Game

Total time for games, including any warm-up, is 2 hours. There is no set number of innings, but a new inning should not start unless both coaches fell the full inning can be completed before time expires.

Please feel free to contact Mike Komar or Nathan Klatt with any questions. Thank you coaches for volunteering and PLEASE FOLLOW THESE RULES - NO VARIATIONS ALLOWED.